If I have wetted your appetite for hiking when reading about Maine, another great place to go hiking is South Dakota. Two notable spots that make their home in South Dakota are Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore. These two places alone make up for the otherwise boring state.
The best way to describe Badlands is if you were to suddenly travel to a different planet. Flat, green plains surround Badlands in all directions, but the landscape quickly changes to a severe drop into bowl like area with dry, rocky land. Hence, the name given to the area by the native Sioux Indians translated to “bad land.” The change in terrain is almost immediate, and you will not be able to see until you are very close.
In the park, there is a road that you can drive along following the rim of the bowl with many areas to pull off for pictures or to hike. On one side of the road, you will see paths leading into the bowl for hiking. Many paths are left in their natural state, without railings for safety. Hiking here can be very dangerous, as there are sharp slopes with loose rocks on the surface. On the other side of the road, there are spots to watch prairie dogs, one of the notable sources of wildlife in the park. bighorn sheep also live in the Badlands, bu they can be hard to find.
The Badlands is also a great place for stargazing and camping. There is very little light pollution, and when there are no clouds, the night skies are unbelievably clear. Many nighttime events are held to showcase astrological features with telescopes, like Saturn and its rings. However, it may be much smaller than you are expecting. Nonetheless, it is still pretty cool being able to see a different planet.
After hiking the Badlands, you might want to make a stop at Mount Rushmore. You probably have a great idea of what this may look like already, but seeing it in person is a completely different experience. Seeing it in person makes it seem so much more monumental. Mount Rushmore is a great spot that would recommend everyone to see at least once in their lifetime. It is amazing to think that people were able to carve something so lifelike and so large out of the side of a mountain.
When you are done standing in awe of the great feat that is Mount Rushmore itself, there are trails that you can hike. These trails are much easier than some at the Badlands, but they are still great hikes.
Aside from these two places, South Dakota does not have much to offer (sorry to any South Dakota natives reading this). That being said, I would definitely go back to visit the Badlands. Both times I have been there these are the only places my family has visited.